


i'm mutts about you

by bluetint



Category: GOT7
Genre: Adoption, Birthday Fluff, Gift Fic, M/M, ft. the rest of the gang, the things you do for love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:01:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25991008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluetint/pseuds/bluetint
Summary: A different take on the tale of how Milo came to be in Mark's life.
Relationships: Park Jinyoung/Mark Tuan
Comments: 6
Kudos: 46





	i'm mutts about you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [papercraned](https://archiveofourown.org/users/papercraned/gifts).



> hey y'all. 
> 
> not dead. just remembered i am an adult with real life responsibilities. currently in the process of trying to get rl shit together.

Mark is lonely.

No, scratch that.

Marks place is lonely.

Jaebeom lives at home. Bambam has his feline army. Yugyeom resides with a friend and his brother. Jackson is barely home. In Youngjae’s apartment, there’s his brother and the gaming console. In Marks apartment, it’s just him but you wouldn’t know unless you called out for him.

In each residence, aside from the members, there are others taking up space: family, friends, and pets. In Marks apartment, it’s just him.

And that is by design. They’d long ago accepted that while Mark enjoyed hanging out with them and loved them all, at the end of the day he preferred being by himself. Understandable, because anyone would want peace and quiet along with an empty space to recharge when they lead a hectic lifestyle. They would need it even more so if they were a member of a rambunctious troupe of clowns (re: GOT7) working in the entertainment industry with an entirely unique culture of its own.

In a nutshell, Mark needed companionship. Not of the humane kind. _That_ he had more than enough of. He didn’t need anyone when he had ‘the squad’ and Jinyoung. Cue haughty, know-it-all hair flip.

He needed a dog.

\---

No one knows how the Great Coco custody battle went as neither Mark nor Youngjae ever disclosed the nitty-gritty, though not for lack of trying.

Using that experience as a frame of reference, it was safe to assume that Mark had a preference for small things. But it never hurt to play it safe.

The dog park was a stone’s throw away from Jinyoung’s apartment. A tiny detail the realtor had failed to mention when Jinyoung was moving in was the cacophony of noise the mutts could create when they congregated. Mornings and evenings were always marked with a chorus of yips and howls.

“This is nice,” Mark remarks when he’s petting his seventh dog of the hour. The Border Collie yips, whether in affirmation or just because, Jinyoung does not know. 

“Right?” The dog moves on to him and Jinyoung graces him with a passable stroke to the nose before it takes off. “I come here sometimes.”

“Really?”

“It’s a good place to get your reading done.” 

“Not exercise?”

“Tried that once. Mrs. Park’s dog thought I was playing tag with it.” 

Mark snorted, fingers curled in yet another dog’s mane that had ambled over in the meantime. Jinyoung doesn’t know what this one is. Mark attracted dogs like Jaebeom attracted cats.

“This one’s a big fella.”

“Oh he sure is,” Mark agrees before tickling the underside of the dog’s chin. “Aren’t ya buddy?”

The dog flops down to its side and Mark crouches next to it. Its tongue lolled to the side as Mark rubbed its belly up and down vigorously, cooing, “Who’s a good boy?” The lower half of Mark’s face is obscured by the mask but the joy and enthusiasm are evident in the creased eyes and laugh.

“Big dogs or little dogs?” Jinyoung asked when they’re walking back to his place, one hand in each other’s coat pockets and the other holding a popsicle.

“It’s too cold for popsicles,” the store clerk had told them but rang them up nonetheless. Mark bit off a piece of the Screw Bar before answering, “Little dogs.”

Jinyoung took a dainty bite of his Meronah. “Why?” All the dogs that had come up to Mark had ranged from mid-sized to huge.

“Too much hassle. They take up half the space on anything. With small dogs it's easier.” 

Mark didn’t have to look at Jinyoung to know he’d wrinkled his nose under the mask. The concept of letting your pet, on the furniture, _especially the bed_ , regardless of how clean they were, was foreign to Jinyoung. One would think he was ridiculous for wanting to acquire an animal that would partake in the very action he despised.

But that’s what love was. Sacrificing little comforts for the sake of one’s significant other.

\---

Having determined the size, the next step was procurement which was easier said than done.

All knowledge relevant to four-legged friends that Jinyoung possessed had been acquired via osmosis. Jaebeom and Bambam were needlessly vocal about their furry babies and Youngjae was twice as loud about Coco. Since this was a top-secret operation, Jinyoung took to the internet for recon.

His search history was riddled with all things doggy. Popularity trends, rearing tips, vets, blogs - you name it. Jinyoung went over it with a fine-tooth comb. He even went so far as to strike up conversations with those who frequented the park, posing as an interested newbie looking to adopt a companion of his own.

 _That_ brought forth a torrent of advice and opinions, leaving Jinyoung as lost as a ship at sea.

And if Jaebeom moored him by leaving a calling card of a reputable adoption center on the kitchen table after he returned Jinyoung’s phone to look something up, he was going to pretend it didn’t happen.

\---

Visiting the source of distribution was a harrowing task in itself. Keeping this operation secret had been a Sisyphean task so far, what with Bambam sending him a list of trusted vendors from which he could procure the item of interest. Jaebeom never could keep a secret from Bambam but Bambam was pretty good at keeping mum. He just prayed Mark didn’t catch wind of this until his birthday was well and over.

The first shop he’d immediately walked out of right after entering it. Too many people. 

The second one had been all right, but the taupe walls and overall somber mood of the place didn’t sit right with him. He’d left the place even more disheartened than when he’d come in.

In the third one, he’d nearly run into Park fucking Jinyoung, of all people. There was a woman next to him whom he assumed was the missus. The entire staff was falling all over themselves to service them. Wouldn’t even spare a thought for him or the other customers who were filming him. If Jinyoung entered now, word would reach Mark through the social media grapevine. Aside from all that, he did not want even the slightest sliver of that man’s dark shadow to befall this noble and precious quest for his beloved.

And so Jinyoung meticulously worked through the list and had nothing to show for it. His disappearances did not go unnoticed. 

“Where have you been?” Mark asks him one evening when they’re sprawled out on his sofa watching The Old Guard. They’ve both seen it before but who doesn’t want to see Charlize Theron wield an ax effortlessly over and over again?

“Oh, just here and there.” The Emmerson recliner was single handedly the biggest and comfiest piece of furniture in Marks place, the modular configuration had been chosen to accommodate as many of them. The price, however, had made Jinyoung’s eyes bug out of his head. Right now, the leather felt too sticky on his calves and the sofa too small for Jinyoung to hide from Mark's questioning gaze.

Jinyoung does _not_ want to lie to Mark. Nothing good ever came from lying, even if they were harmless white lies. Naively he’d been hoping Mark wouldn’t notice but nothing ever got past him. But he wants to protect his surprise even more, so he slips just this once. “Just some scheduling issues. Management wanted to pitch some ideas and you know how _that_ goes.”

The slowed fingers in his hair resume their stroking. Mark makes soothing noises and offers platitudes. Pats Jinyoung’s stomach and gives it a soothing rub. Onscreen, Charlize Theron fells a man with an ax.

It makes Jinyoung feel like a dog. 

In more ways than one.

\---

The fates, having tired of using Jinyoung as their pinata, finally give him the break he’s looking for.

It comes, as breaks often do, out of left field.

Mr. Kim, an avid frequenter of parrot cafes who owned multiple noisy budgies. If the alarm didn’t rouse Jinyoung, the racket they made in the balcony sure did. As Jinyoung was coming out of the apartment to go for his morning run, Mr. Kim was there, waiting to give Jinyoung an update on his feathery spawn along with a brief disquisition on the trials and tribulations of raising them.

Today, he was on a quest for a high-end bird feeder.

Another aspect initially beyond Jinyoung’s comprehension: likening pets to children. But after spending time with his members and listening to Mr. Kim, he could appreciate the appeal of it.

“Oh and before you go.” A yellow and green pamphlet is placed in his hands. “A little something for your troubles.”

Jinyoung is confused. “My troubles?”

Mr. Kim plucked a tuft of dog fur that had unknowingly attached itself to the shoulder of his hoodie and offered it up as an explanation.

_Oh._

“They always got what you’re looking for. The place is like a genie, I swear. It’s where I got Pororo the parakeet from.”

One can’t say Jinyoung’s on close terms with his neighbors. Work rarely ever leaves him with enough time to get to know them more intimately. When he’d first moved in, he’d planned on greeting them formally but that had fallen by the wayside due to his other mandatory obligations. He’d been raised to be proper and the guilt of not being neighborly enough eats at him. To make up for it, he makes sure to greet them whenever they cross paths coming and going, maybe stopping for a bit to exchange pleasantries when he has the time or presence of mind to do so, like with Mr. Kim. 

The fact that the elderly man had taken note of his quandary despite Jinyoung not having mentioned it and given him an inkling of hope when he’d completely given up touched him. “I - thank you.”

“Thank me when you find what you’re looking for.”

Jinyoung pocketed the pamphlet for pet adoption securely, renewed hope blooming in his chest. “I will.”

\---

The place wasn’t due to open for a few more hours but Jinyoung didn’t feel like going home to change and coming back so he settled for walking instead of running his usual kilometers. By the time he finally deems himself ready, it’s fifty-five minutes past the opening time.

Jinyoung takes in the medium yellow walls with the white trim, the display windows adorned with cute animal cutouts arranged in a circle around the shop's name and knows, deep down, like he'd known when he'd stood in front of the JYP building for the audition, that he was in the right place.

\---

Mark's birthday started out as a sedate affair. Hours before the clock struck twelve, the guys filed in, armed with party supplies, cake, and all the things they would need. Mark had graciously allowed himself to be kidnapped by Jaebeom and Bambam and even managed a convincing expression of shock when they all yelled _SURPRISE_ when he opened the door at 11:55.

Candles were blown out, wishes were made, cake was cut and smeared on laughing faces. Poppers were popped, horns were blown and food was served and consumed. Then, Jackson brought out the wine.

It was around five in the morning when everyone retired. There were two guest bedrooms in the spacious apartment but Jinyoung knew Jaebeom and Bambam would end up in the same bed and Jackson would squeeze himself in between Yugyeom and Youngjae. Whether by design or by accident, Jinyoung would have Mark to himself for the first time that night.

The thought makes him clench his fingers with giddy excitement around the rag he’s been wiping the table with.

“Where’d you go?” Mark asks as he pads out from the bathroom, toweling himself. The buttercream had been thoroughly rubbed into his hair by the maknaes. 

“Went to throw the trash out.” Which, technically wasn’t a lie. 

“We could’ve left that for another few hours.”

“True, but you know how I hate the mess.”

“Thanks for taking care of the mess, _aegiya_.” The nickname earns Mark a derisive snort and a cleaning rag in the face.

“Behave or you won’t get your gift.”

Mark looked at him, widening his eyes and mouth exaggeratedly in surprise. “You got me a gift?”

Jinyoung rolled his eyes. “Of course. You’d have never let me live it down.”

“Naturally. Where is it?”

Jinyoung beckoned Mark with a crooked finger to his bedroom. “Follow me?”

“Ooooh, is this going to be like last year? Should I get the collar?”

Jinyoung barely manages to stop the dying whale noise from escaping. “God no. Just shut up, hyung.”

When Jinyoung had walked into Mija’s Friends, he’d immediately known his quest had come to an end. The staff knew when to accommodate and when to let their customer have space to browse. The animals there looked well-cared for and _loved _. When Jinyoung had described what kind of pet he was looking for, Mija, a stout woman adorned in a poofy blouse and silk skirt, had clapped her hands in delight, the many bracelets on her wrists clacking together. “I have just the one!”__

__When the Maltipoo had raced into his arms, Jinyoung had felt something unlock in his chest, the tightness he’d been carrying around this entire time, unwinding. Shyly, the dog buried its nose into the crook of Jinyoung’s neck.. Gave Jinyoung’s face excited little licks upon being patted (which made him wince) but stayed when Jinyoung told him to, little tufty tail wagging hopefully._ _

__“What’s his name?” he’d asked the woman and she’d grinned. Her two front teeth were missing._ _

__He’d known that he’d made a sound decision when he’d adopted the dog, but Mark’s reaction to it just affirms it._ _

___”Oh my god.”_ Mark is torn between wanting to squeeze the hyper little ball of fluff to his chest and kissing his boyfriend senseless in gratitude. _”My god._ ”_ _

__“His name’s Milo, by the way,” Jinyoung tells him casually. He’s feeling anything but casual. Internally he’s doing the victory dance. “Pretty sure god is a title reserved for me in bed.”_ _

__“Shut up, oh my god,” Mark tells him. Milo jumps up and down before racing over to Jinyoung, who obligingly scratches the top of his head. “Hey lil fella, that’s your real dad. I’m just the mistress.”_ _

__Milo barks, tongue lolling and tail wagging. Jinyoung laughs and sends him back over to Mark. Milo veers off, curious to explore the rest of the house._ _

__“Jinyoung, I -”_ _

__Jinyoung cuts him off. “There’s more in there, by the way.”_ _

__Mark, open-mouthed and shiny-eyed, looked into the big basket Milo had emerged out of. Jinyoung was honestly surprised the dog had actually kept quiet when he was being transported from Mr. Kim’s to Mark’s bedroom when he’d gone out to ‘throw the trash.’_ _

__Marks eyes widen once more as he draws another item out of the basket. _”Oh my god.”_ He looks from it to Jinyoung. “You shouldn’t have.”_ _

__(Two days after the Lucky Strike and one day before D-Day, Jinyoung had gone over to Marks place for lunch. Preoccupied with the gift, he hadn’t offered any suggestions as to what they would have because he was watching his weight. Should have known better to leave it up to Mark because he ate anything and everything._ _

__Even _broccoli.__ _

__“Chicken broccoli stir fry? Really?”_ _

__“Oh come on, just have one bite. It is delicious, I promise.”_ _

__Jinyoung turned his face away from the mini alien tree species with a disgusted sigh. Mark huffed and shoved it into his mouth where he proceeded to munch on it noisily._ _

__“I hate that. I don’t know how you manage to eat it.”_ _

__“I love broccoli. It's the first thing the children are going to eat when they start solid foods.”_ _

__“Our children are going to do no such thing. I will not allow them to be subjected to this torture.”_ _

__Mark (wisely) did not retaliate, just offered a smile, and continued his obnoxiously noisy consumption of the wretched vegetable.)_ _

__This time Mark doesn’t hold back. Like Milo had leaped at him, he leaped at Jinyoung and proceeded to pepper his face with kisses. Jinyoung scrunched his face; partly out of joy because boyfriend smoochies and partly out of disgust because doggo slobber._ _

__“This - ” Jinyoung gestured to the green broccoli plush toy he’d grabbed for Milo on a whim when he’d gone over to finalize the paperwork and payment crushed between their chests, “ - is the only acceptable form of broccoli that will be allowed in my house.”_ _

__Mark grinned. He giggled and cackled. Jinyoung, encouraged by his infectious laugh, joined him. Milo raced back in and contributed in the form of yips and barks. The other five continued to snore on, oblivious to the momentous occasion taking place on the other side of the walls._ _

__As they finally settled down for the night, completely knackered, Milo at the foot of the bed (only for tonight, Jinyoung had insisted), Mark, voice thick with content and sleep, asked, “Jinyoungie?”_ _

__“Mmmmm?”_ _

__“What are you thinking about?”_ _

__“Bird-feeders.”_ _

__“Eh?”_ _

__Jinyoung laughs, sleepy and happy. “Goodnight, hyung.”_ _

__\--_ _

**Author's Note:**

> for div, kiunk dil me mere hai dard-e-markjin and it's all because of her.


End file.
